Bellum Hispaniense 6

B. Hisp. 6.1Quōs quoniam ab Uliā retrāxerat, ut in aequum dēdūceret, cōpiīs flūmine trāductīs noctū iubet ignēs fierī magnōs: item firmissimum eius praesidium Ateguam proficīscitur.

Since he had drawn them back from Ulia, in order to bring them down onto the level he took his forces across the river and ordered large fires to be lit by night; then he set out for Ategua, Pompeius' strongest garrison town.

Note. Quōs quoniam … retrāxerat: connecting relative, 'since he had drawn them back'. in aequum: 'onto level ground'. ignēs fierī magnōs: large camp-fires at night, to suggest that his army was still in its old position. firmissimum eius praesidium Ateguam: Ategua is in apposition to praesidium, 'Ategua, his strongest garrison'; the accusative of motion towards a town needs no preposition.

B. Hisp. 6.2Id cum Pompēius ex perfugīs rescīsset, quā diē facultātem nactus est, relinquēns montēs et angustiās, carra complūra multōsque lanistās retrāxit et ad Cordubam sē recēpit.

When Pompeius learned this from deserters, on the day he got his chance, leaving the mountains and the narrow passes, he took back many wagons and many gladiator-trainers and withdrew to Corduba.

Note. quā diē: here diēs is feminine, as often for a particular day. relinquēns montēs et angustiās: the participle stands loosely without a connecting word. carra complūra: carrum, -ī n. is a variant of carrus. lanistās: 'trainers of gladiators', perhaps with their gladiators, whom Pompeius used as soldiers.

B. Hisp. 6.3Caesar mūnītiōnibus Ateguam oppugnāre et brachia circumdūcere coepit.

Caesar began to besiege Ategua with siege-works and to draw lines of fortification round it.

Note. brachia circumdūcere: to draw lines of fortification right round the town.

B. Hisp. 6.3Cui dē Pompēiō cum nūntius esset adlātus, eō diē proficīscī, cuius in adventum praesidiī causā Caesar complūra castella occupāsset, partim ubi equitātus, partim ubi pedestris cōpiae in statiōne et in excubitū castrīs praesidiō esse possent, hīc in adventū Pompēī incidit, ut mātūtīnō tempore nebula esset crassissima.

When news was brought to him that Pompeius was setting out that day — to meet whose arrival Caesar had occupied several forts as a precaution, where partly cavalry and partly infantry could protect the camp by standing guard and keeping watch — at this point, as Pompeius arrived, it happened that in the early morning the fog was very thick.

Note. A long, rambling sentence. Cui … cum nūntius esset adlātus: connecting relative, 'when news was brought to him'. eō diē proficīscī: the report in indirect speech, with Pompeium understood as subject. cuius in adventum: 'against whose arrival'. pedestris cōpiae: pedestrēs with the older -īs ending of the nominative plural. in statiōne et in excubitū: 'on guard duty and on watch'. castrīs praesidiō: double dative. hīc: adverb, 'at this point'. incidit, ut: 'it happened that'.

B. Hisp. 6.4Ita illā obscūrātiōne cum aliquot cohortibus et equitum turmīs circumclūdunt Caesaris equitēs et concīdunt, sīc ut vix in eā caede paucī effugerent.

So in that darkness they surrounded Caesar's cavalry with some cohorts and troops of horse and cut them down, so that hardly a few escaped from that slaughter.

Note. illā obscūrātiōne: 'in that darkness', the fog of 41. circumclūdunt … concīdunt: historic presents. sīc ut vix … paucī effugerent: 'so that hardly a few escaped'.